The Modigliani exhibit at the Phillips Gallery in Washington (it originated at the Jewish Museum in NYC and had an interim stop in Ottawa) was clearly worth seeing. There were approximately 100 works of art, the largest Modigliani exhibit ever displayed.
Modigliani, Italian and Jewish from Livorno, died of tuberculosis related pneumonia at age 35 in 1920 in Paris where he had settled. As he was part of the circle that included all of the Parisian artists (Picasso, Miro, Cocteau, Chagall, etc.), it makes you realize how lively the Paris art scene was during the first two decades of the last century, and what a small and close group comprised it. Everyone, clearly, knew everyone.
Modigliani's portraits and nudes, with their elongated faces and bodies, are one of a kind, yet show the influences of his predecessors. The subject are interesting, the colors and shapes captivating, the lack of detail intriguing. But, did Modigliani paint the same painting again and again? His style was clearly only one style, and although the personalities of the subjects may come through, one must wonder. Not that the style is not top notch, but variety is one thing Modigliani lacks.
In addition to the oils, there were many drawings and sketches, which I found less appealing, and five (of the twenty five still in existence) sculptures of heads of women, arranged together on individual pedestals, in a grouping which I wish I could put in my garden.
The detriments were the layout of the show (the chaos of not being able to follow the exhibit from A to Z, but having to backtrack and backtrack again) caused in part by the layout of the museum, and the poor signage which was written in a font small enough that I could not see it from my normal two feet and had to get within a few inches looking through my glasses, but which was so low that you also had to bend down, so you were both uncomfortable and conspicuous. Also, the mechanical auditor guides, which said, over and over again, "Modigliani was Jewish and Italian (or Italian and Jewish) and therefore felt like he was "other" in Paris."
It was good, however, that everyone pronounced his name with the Italian Modiliani, and not Modigliani, as Americans normally tend to.
This was the last weekend of the exhibit, and if you missed it, too bad. To repeat, the nudes and the portraits make everything else seem unimportant.
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I saw the exhibit at the Jewish Museum in NY and was much impressed. But I must disagree with the comment about the sketches and drawings. I found them fascinating. In books one only sees Modigliani's paintings it was great to see his other work and the work that led up to the paintings.
I was especially drawn to one study that was a woman in the middle with sketches around the side with her from other angles. It also didn't hurt that it was donated to the exhibit by Johnny Depp.
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